Resident Evil 5 Review

I have always loved survival horror. I have also always loved Resident Evil, but after a couple of hit and miss movies and a complete U-turn in creative direction, it is clear that Capcom’s baby just isn’t heading in the direction is should be.

Fans of the previous Resident Evil outing that was lead by RE2 leading man Leon Kennedy will obviously realise that the fifth instalment into the series has some pretty large shoes to fill. Not only did RE4 do so much right in terms of making survival horror that ounce more intense, but it also showed that dipping in a little bit of action could never hurt the franchise. It is such a shame though to experience a game that goes so off the rails in terms of formula change that really you wonder if this is the franchise you once loved to begin with.

Resident Evil 5 takes place somewhere in the dank, dusty backdrop of sunny side Africa. Chris Redfield, one of the heroes of the original game has come to this not so scary location to uncover a bioterrorist plot, which could potentially wipe out the planet as we know it.

Unfortunately the plot has its ups and down the further along you get into its convoluted conspiracy of random virus names and monster types. The game can have some pretty strong, climatic events but sadly you will find that the story just doesn’t really know what to do with its overall cast and goal. This isn’t to say all is lost with the campaign though. Players who find themselves dragging their heels will definitely want to stick around for the rather epic final quarter of the game, which gets a visit from a very awesome returning antagonist. This story is through and through all about our balloon armed hero Chris Redfield and in some ways he gets a pretty good personal side story to the overall lacking story.

Unlike previous instalments to the series though, Chris is not alone this time as Capcom felt it right to add an always supporting cooperative partner to the mix. This is where things ultimately start to go a little down south. Video game AI has always been something of a hit and miss opportunity and there has never been a developer who has gotten it perfect each time around. The same can be said for BSAA native ‘Sheva Alomar’ who not only shows that computer controlled AI is still as blank as a plank of wood holding a 9mm, but also that Resident Evil is meant to be a solo experience. SOLO.

It just doesn’t help the experience that we have a character that you will quickly realise you love to hate. Not only is Sheva a terrible partner in combat, but she also shows absolutely no relevance to the overall plot either. She kind of just stands there like a pasted on card board cut out that was never supposed to be in the story. No other character apart from one NPC ever really acknowledges her existence and when they do, you just want her to shut up and go on her merry way as she steals more precious loot from you than Santa’s evil twin.

Thankfully the combat can balance this out and feel like quite a rewarding experience. Sure RE5 keeps the annoying ability to not aim while walking, but the gunplay that made Leon’s outing so great is still there and also feels way more refined this time around. Guns especially bring an even more fun side to the formula with countless varieties of handguns, shotguns, assault rifles and more to play around with. You can even upgrade them in-between check points with all the yummy cash you collect during the lengthy chapters. This is actually one addicting aspect to the game’s overall character progression in general and every upgrade feels like a major difference after pulling the trigger. The weapons all feel and sound great too with shotguns letting out an almighty kick to their blasts and rifles relieving their clips with peppery, recoiled delight.

Other things have been added too, such as a more in-depth melee system that even though feels a little awkward and hammy to begin with, can easily end up becoming a tactical advantage at the stickiest of situations. This crosses over pretty well into the cooperative feature too as you and your partner stun enemies with key shots to the body and then watch as your buddy rushes in for a bone crunching falcon punch finisher.

Sure I said that Resident Evil 5 is meant to be a single player, single character experience but if you take the game for what it is, you actually have a pretty good afternoon pass time with a friend. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some problems with it though. For one the game’s quick time events can be something of a frustration for the seasoned professional who must sit watching his global friend fail each and every time at the button sensitive scripted events. Not only that but while player deaths can be annoying, the countless times you will find partnered randoms just disconnect from your game with precious ammo can also become a slow, progressive annoyance. Thankfully you can play the game with a friend via splitscreen coop, but for those without a buddy to sit beside they are kind of out of luck.

People not wanting to care about the story can also focus on a slew of other things too. Resident Evil 5 carries the coop formula even further with additional game modes like the the already popular Mercenaries mode from previous game. This mode sees you take control of a number of the franchises favourite characters, all with their own preset weapons and list of costumes as you take down as many enemies in the set time. This is a pretty fun pass time for those looking for a break from the wobbly story. It is a shame though that this mode doesn’t come with some form of endurance mode, as the timer can come as a little bit of an annoyance for those wanting to waste hours away just killing countless enemies.

One thing that is great to point out is that Resident Evil 5 is a pretty damn good looking game. The characters especially are something that the series developers should be truly proud of. Not only is the quality in animation and design on the level of what awards are won with, but it is really good when you find a game that can hold its own against a number of newer titles that have entered the market three years down the road.

Resident Evil 5 is available now on Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC!

For more information, click here.